Riptide
by JT-VS6
Summary: With the IOA’s decision on the fate of Atlantis still undecided and a face from John’s past representing HomeWorld Security on Atlantis, a Wraith scouting vessel appears, complicating matters further.


Author's notes: First, you should read the first installment, Over Trouble Waters or else you'll probably be a little lost. Second, a big thanks to Lea, Cazz and Laura who helped answer a million questions, cleaned up the story and added a lovely Teyla/Carson scene. :D

* * *

As the Daedalus flew through the debris caused by the destruction of the two hive ships, Caldwell sat back in his chair, finally relaxing slightly. He was getting too old for these space battles, he decided.

"Do we have an estimate on when the repairs are going to be finished?" he asked, exhaustion slipping into his voice.

"It's not looking good, sir," said Lt. Grant from behind him. "Twelve hours. Minimum."

Caldwell hated his ship being out of commission for so long, but at least, for once, they had resources available instead of drifting helplessly in deep space. "Make it ten," he ordered.

Major Marks turned from his seat, a slight frown on his face.

"Is there a problem, Major?" Caldwell asked.

"Sensors are picking up a faint energy sign approximately 150 kilometers from the debris. From the energy signature, it's Ancient technology," Marks reported, slightly puzzled.

The colonel sat up in his chair, curious. "Is it a drone?"

Marks shook his head. "No, sir. It's much too large to be a drone. That's what's bothering me. It's definitely a ship of some kind. But, despite the signal, if I didn't know any better, I would say it is Wraith in origin."

Caldwell stood up. "What makes you think that, Major?"

The young man shrugged. "I've never seen anything like this, but if you look at it, the design looks like a dart." He tapped a few buttons. "I've got visuals of it from the aft camera, sir."

"Show me," Caldwell ordered.

Within seconds, the grainy image of a floating shuttle appeared. Marks was right; it certainly looked like it came from the Wraith. It was dart-like in shape, but a little more bulky and slightly larger than the Wraith attack vessels.

"It seems to be in status. No weapons detected. No life signs or life support for that matter, but it is transmitting a faint beacon signal," reported Marks. He frowned as one of the control panels began to chirp. "Sir, engines are powering up!"

Damn it, Caldwell thought. "Fire," he ordered.

"We can't, sir," Lt. Grant replied. "We took them offline to begin repairs."

"Sir, they are powering up their hyper drive engines," Marks called.

A shuttle with hyperspace technology? "Get those 302s out there and stop it!" he barked.

"Too late," Marks replied a few seconds later as the ship disappeared from the screen. He ran his fingers over the controls. "And if my calculations are correct, it's on direct course to Earth."

Caldwell stood up. "Do you have hyper drive?" he asked.

Lt. Grant shook her head. "Sorry, sir."

"Get them up and running! I don't care how you do it," he ordered.

She stood up a bit straighter. "Aye, sir."

Marks turned to Caldwell. "Even if we get the engines back up, they're are going to have a significant head start on us. Best case scenario, they'll be at running capacity in fifteen minutes."

"Understood," he replied. "Send an encrypted message to Atlantis and the SGC, tell them what we found and to get ready." He took a seat back in his chair. "I can never get a moment's peace."

*****

"Rodney, what did they find?" John asked as he jogged up the stairs to the monitor Rodney was next to.

"I don't know, maybe if I gaze into the crystal ball a little longer, the answer will come to me," he snapped.

John suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He understood that Rodney's patience had been stretched to the max over the past few days; so had everyone else's. "I don't get it," John said as he gazed at the unfamiliar vessel. "Why didn't the Daedalus detect it sooner?"

Radek held up a finger. "We believe that the ship was in status based on the energy readings the Daedalus sent to us. When the Superhive was first destroyed, the signal was too faint to be noticed. It was probably made that way so that it wouldn't be detected."

"Well, thank you for explaining the obvious. But we don't know what it does and why it's coming to earth," Rodney replied.

"Ok," John said, frowning. "What *do* we know about it?"

Rodney tapped a couple of keys. "Major Marks was right. The ship is completely Wraith in design, but the energy signal it is transmitting is more like Ancient technology. Other than that, I have no idea."

John looked at him incredulously.

"What?" Rodney asked defensively. "Being an expert in Earth-based and Ancient technology isn't enough?"

He stepped away from the computer screen, getting annoyed at Rodney's attitude. Of course no one expected him to know everything about the Wraith. No human did. John's eyes widened, getting an idea. He walked to Chuck. "Get General Landry on the line."

******

"No way. Todd is not leaving this planet," Landry said.

"But, sir--"

"Look, I know out there in the Pegasus Galaxy you guys are used to making your own rules and dealing with the repercussions later, but here, we follow protocol," the General rebutted. He sighed. "I understand where you're coming from, Colonel. But right now, with the IOA breathing down our throats, it's imperative that we follow every rule down to its last letter."

"Sir, we don't even know what that ship does. For all we know, it could be sending a signal to other Wraith ships," John replied.

"Which is why you are going to fire a drone at it and eliminate that worry."

"What if there is valuable information there? There is a reason why the Wraith didn't want that ship destroyed. There is one being in this galaxy that can tell us why," he argued.

From the side of him, Radek cleared his throat. John looked at him questioningly.

"We think there is something wrong with the ship. Based on our readings, the expected arrival of this ship is not for nine hours," Radek said.

The General frowned. "Why?"

Radek shrugged. "We're not sure. Rodney is attempting to run some long-range scans on the ship. We think maybe its hyperdrive engines were damaged in the battle."

Rodney walked by Radek, nearly pushing him out of the way. "The ship can only make very short hyper drive jumps. Based on what our sensors detected, the engine can only stay at light speed for thirty minutes, then it needs to power down, recharge, and then it can make another jump." He looked at the General. "As much as I love the idea of destroying a ship that could lead to Earth's destruction, there is a reason why the Wraith found it important to keep safe. I think we should figure out why, sir."

"McKay and Zelenka can figure out one of the spots that the ship is going to have to stop, we'll take Atlantis there and then we'll see what's on that ship," Sheppard offered.

Landry leaned back, considering the younger man's words. "All right. Dr. McKay, I want you to rig up a jumper to be able to extend its shields and life support around the ship. I do not want that thing on Atlantis. The base cannot be compromised."

John relaxed slightly. "Understood."

"And Colonel, you fly another jumper down here and pick up your guest," Landry instructed. "Landry out."

As the screen went dark, John turned to Rodney. "Think you can do it?"

Rodney rolled his eyes. "As if you had to ask." At John's lack of response, he huffed. "Fine. I'll have it ready for you."

The two scientists walked away, already debating what the best way to proceed.

John tapped his earpiece. "Ronon, Teyla--" He stopped. Should he request Teyla to be a part of this mission? He knew she and Kanaan were probably talking about their decision to stay or go back to the Pegasus Galaxy. He frowned slightly.

He would ask her to come along, he decided; she hadn't informed them of her final decision yet. As far as John was concerned, she was still part of his team.

*******************

It was strange for Carson to look out of the windows of Atlantis and see black, empty space. In the years he had been there, he had grown accustomed to the sight of the cerulean ocean that he would stop and stare at for hours on end. There was only so much time he could spend staring at... well, nothing.

He sighed and shook his head, rolling his eyes lightly.

The whole atmosphere of Atlantis had changed drastically since they had returned to Earth. There was a deep settled pessimism in the air, despite the fact that the city was more awake and alive than it ever had been in the past five years.

New faces came and went every day and old faces disappeared, having been reassigned or replaced. And some of the veterans of Atlantis were choosing to leave. He hung his head slightly and pursed his lips.

"Carson." He turned at the soft salutation and smiled over to the Teyla. "How are you?"

"Aye, I'm not bad. And you?"

Teyla nodded in response, the smile on her lips not quite reaching her eyes.

"I am well, considering." Carson conceded with a nod and turned back to the bay window. "It is a rather startling view, is it not?"

Carson snorted lightly and nodded again. "Aye, you can say that again." Teyla smiled over to him tiredly and Carson barely managed to refrain from reaching out to pat her shoulder. "So tell me, has Mr. Coolidge offered you asylum on Earth?"

Carson knew that he had. He just wondered what Teyla would say. And he wasn't disappointed. The skin around her eyes tightened slightly as she turned away from him. She sighed and ducked her head.

"He has." Carson watched her as she fiddled nervously with the zipper of her top and he frowned; Teyla never fidgeted. He waited for long minutes for her to continue but she didn't. Carson looked away from her.

"And?" He asked, prompting her to continue. From her hesitation, he could guess what her response to Coolidge's offer had been. He saw her turn to him from the corner of his eye and he turned back to her, meeting her troubled eyes. He pursed his lips and tried to smile for her. "Have you told the Colonel?"

Teyla looked away quickly and shook her head.

"No." She hesitated again and Carson looked away from her again. "I think he suspects that I will not stay."

Carson smiled and let out an airy laugh.

"He's quite astute when he wants to be." Teyla smiled and nodded slightly. "You should tell him."

She didn't say anything for some time and Carson wondered if he'd over stepped some kind of boundary but he brushed that thought aside.

"And you? I hear that you are to return to the Pegasus galaxy with us?" Carson nodded and smiled tightly. Now he knew why she had been reluctant to talk about her decision. "Why?"

He turned to her then and ushered for her to walk. She frowned slightly but acquiesced, moving to stand beside him as they passed by a large group of scientists huddled around what appeared to Carson to be a blank wall. He watched them for a moment before shrugging and turning his attention back to Teyla.

"There's a lot left to do." He could see Teyla's stare and he shifted his weight uncomfortably. "And I don't really have a place here, do I?"

Teyla stopped and Carson copied her, turning back to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Carson shrugged uncomfortably and licked his lips. "It's pretty obvious the IOA don't trust me, for starters. I have no family here, either."

Teyla stepped closer to him and reached out to touch his forearm. He let her have the contact for a moment before he retracted his arm and stuffed his hands into his pockets uncomfortably.

"What about your mother?"

Carson turned and started walking again, not sure where he was heading. "She thinks I'm dead."

"That is easily remedied, Carson."

He looked over to her. "Aye, maybe so. But with the job we have on Atlantis, I could die. It's not fair for her to have to experience that twice."

Teyla didn't say anything for a moment. "Then leave Atlantis; live on Earth."

Carson let out a humorless laugh at that and shook his head, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He smiled ruefully and sighed. "It's not that easy though, is it?"

Teyla turned to him and smiled sadly, shaking her head. "It is not." Carson returned her smile. "Have you told them?"

Carson grinned with half his mouth and shook his head. "Nope."

Teyla leveled him with a stare, raising her eyebrow. "You should."

Carson chortled lightly. "Aye, I should."

Teyla was about to speak, when she heard John's voice over the comm. "Teyla…meet me in the jumper room in five minutes."

******

"This ship's transmissions are not cause for concern?" Teyla asked as they watched Radek working inside the jumper.

"No," Rodney called from behind Zelenka. "The broadcasting range is used for short range transmissions only. But, if the Daedalus hadn't have detected it, it could have come into our solar system, collected whatever data it needed to and left without us being any wiser." He tapped several times on the tablet. "We should have the systems calibrated by the time we're ready to leave."

"OK," John said, stepping into the jumper next to where Rodney and Radek were working. The rest of his team, excluding Rodney, quickly followed as he sat in the cockpit.

John sat at the controls. "Jumper One to Atlantis. We're ready to disembark."

"Understood," Woolsey replied via the comm channel. "Good luck."

John piloted the jumper out of the bay. Immediately, he cloaked the ship in case any ambitious sky watchers caught a glimpse of the jumper. Within seconds, they were entering earth's atmosphere. He tapped on the controls as the floating ship came into view. "We're ready, General."

"Understood. Go ahead and land in hangar 2-A," he instructed.

Less than a minute later, John had piloted the jumper into the hangar as he was told. As the jumper landed, he released the controls on the back of the ship, opening the door.

Todd walked in the cabin of the jumper with his armed escorts. He smiled at them. "Did you miss me?"

"No," Ronon said as he held his blaster in his hand.

The Wraith laughed. "They tell me that you have found something…unusual."

John didn't answer; his focus was on the person who was standing uncomfortably outside the Jumper, not quite looking like she fit in with her suit and high heels and perfectly styled hair. John walked by Todd and stood in front of her. "Nancy?" he asked incredulously.

She shifted her weight slightly as she studied the Jumper. "Now I see why you don't call Dave that often," she said lightly.

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled slightly. "I got another promotion working for the Department of Homeworld Security." Her glance shifted away from John to behind him.

"John?" Teyla asked, confused as her gaze shifted from one to the other person in front of her.

John looked at Teyla. "Uh, Nancy this is--"

"Teyla Emmagan, leader of the Athosian people," Nancy finished. She held out her hand. "It is nice to meet you."

Teyla took her hand awkwardly and shook it. She looked at John questioningly.

"Teyla, this is Nancy Sheppard, my ex-wife."

Teyla's eyebrow rose quickly, but smoothly put a smile on her face.

"Actually, it's Nancy Stevens now, though I have to admit, it has been difficult for some people to make the transition." She forced a smile. "Grant and I got married last June."

"Oh," John said, not quite sure what to say. He was grateful when he heard the booming footsteps of Ronon coming from behind Teyla.

"Are we going?" he asked, not acknowledging Nancy.

"Uh, yeah." John said, still eying Nancy. "Well, congratulations on the promotion. And, uh, the wedding. Hopefully this marriage goes better than ours did."

"Actually," Nancy said, stepping into the jumper, "I'm coming with you. General O'Neill wants unbiased reports on the validity of keeping Atlantis in this galaxy or not."

John considered her words for a moment. Unbiased? His ex-wife? He stopped himself. Though things didn't work out between the two of them, she was always fair in her assessments. "Welcome aboard," he said awkwardly as he hopped into the Jumper.

He took a seat in the pilot's position and was grateful when Teyla took the spot next to him.

"This should be interesting," he muttered to her as he flew them back to Atlantis.

Teyla smiled sympathetically at him.

When John landed the Jumper, they disembarked with Ronon staying close to Todd. As they stepped out, Rodney was there to greet them. "We've run into a little snag with the shield transfer protocol." He held up a hand, "But don't worry, we'll have it figured out by the time Carson gets us to the ship."

"Carson?" John asked, surprised.

"Woolsey figured you would be busy working with Todd, I guess," Rodney said, half-interested. He glanced down at his tablet. "Radek! I told you to get the transfer routers to go through the main power coupling!" he yelled, walking away from them.

John suppressed a sigh. Rodney and Radek were having trouble getting the shields to work, Ronon was glaring at Todd, Teyla looked oddly uncomfortable and Nancy was carefully noting everything around her. Yup, John thought as he started leading them to the Gate Room, this was going to be a great day.

As they turned the corner, John felt the momentum change slightly. This was the first time he was on Atlantis when it was flying without him controlling it. It was a rather interesting experience, he thought as he turned the corner.

Todd walked next to him. "It's nice to be back on Atlantis again. The cell they were keeping me in was so confining."

"Well, don't get too comfortable here. After we figure out what the hell that thing is, you're going back to your new home."

The Wraith let out a harsh laugh. "You amuse me, John Sheppard."

John said nothing as they continued walking into the gate room. Woolsey was waiting for them in the control room. "Welcome back," he greeted, eying Todd cautiously.

John nodded as they walked up the stairs. "Richard Woolsey, this is Nancy She--Stevens. Nancy, this is Mr. Woolsey."

The two shook hands. "We met on Earth," he said to Sheppard. He turned back to Nancy. "I've set up the workstation for you as General O'Neill has requested in one of the labs on the lower levels. I'll have someone escort you there."

"I will," Teyla offered. "I need to talk with Kanaan."

John forced down the urge to deny her offer, imagining what kind of conversation the two would have, but Woolsey nodded before he could say anything. "Thank you, Teyla."

As the two women walked away, John leaned next to Woolsey. "You knew that my ex-wife was coming to Atlantis and you didn't think you should warn me?"

Woolsey looked at the unfamiliar woman below. "That's your ex-wife?" he asked, surprise. At John's nod, he said, "I apologize, Colonel, Mr. Coolidge didn't mention anything when he said she was coming aboard."

"Figures," John said dryly, knowing that Coolidge knew exactly who Nancy was. He turned his attention to Chuck. "Can you pull up the video the Daedalus sent over?"

"Sure," Chuck replied.

A couple of seconds later, the grainy image of the ship appeared.

Uncharacteristically, Todd looked very nervous.

"What's wrong?" John asked, noting his unusual demeanor.

"I hope you are prepared for a battle, John Sheppard, because there are more Hives ships on the way," Todd said.

************

The conference room was unusually full. Woolsey, John, Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, Lorne, Keller, Nancy and Todd were seated around the table. At Todd's grim announcement, Woolsey decided it was best to call a conference so that everyone could have a better understanding of what was going on.

"You said that more Hive ships are coming. How can you be so sure?" Woolsey asked.

"The ship you saw is a Scout," Todd answered.

"Why haven't we seen one before? It's not like we haven't destroyed enough Hive ships," Sheppard asked.

Todd leaned back in his seat. "Due to the technology, they are quite rare. I only know of the existence of four in the Wraith fleet. There must have been an alliance between several clans of the Wraith to authorize the use of it." He leaned forward.

John frowned at Todd. "How many hives are we talking about?"

Todd shrugged. "Until the data on the ship has been accessed, I do not know."

"Guess," Ronon growled.

"I would guess no less than three," Todd offered.

"What's the purpose of sending this ship to Earth? Why wouldn't the hive ships just come to Earth?" Keller asked.

"They are reconnaissance ships. They were used in the Great War between the Wraith and the Ancients. The Scout would be sent out, and collect information. The ship was programmed with an energy signature similar to that of the Ancients to go unnoticed," he explained. "If, as you say, it is heading for Earth, I would assume its mission is to locate Atlantis and any other strategic bases on earth so the Hives know exactly where to attack," Todd explained.

"How long until we get there?" Woolsey asked.

Rodney tapped on his tablet. "A little over an hour."

"And how are the shields coming along?"

"Radek is still working on them, but we should have them ready in the next half hour. Right now, all we can do is wait," Rodney answered.

********

An hour and ten minutes later, Atlantis arrived at the unfamiliar Wraith vessel. The Daedalus, still badly damaged, had arrived several minutes earlier than the City.

As Woolsey looked at the strange ship on his computer screen, he contacted Caldwell. "Are you ready, Colonel?"

"Yes," came the gruff reply. "We will stay here until the team from Atlantis returns, then we have orders to return to Earth."

Woolsey heard the unspoken meaning. If something happened after the Daedalus left, Atlantis would have to fend for itself. "I understand." He ended the comm channel and nodded to John. "Be careful, Colonel. We don't know what's waiting for you."

John nodded. "We will," he said.

Quickly, he led his team and Todd to the jumper bay. They each took a seat as John began to take off.

"We've got about thirty minutes before the shields collapse," Rodney reminded them.

"You've told us seven times already, McKay," Ronon said, not taking his eyes off Todd.

"Well, it's just, I don't want to be in that ship when the shields go down. The Daedalus showed no life support systems on the ship when they scanned it. Do you know how a vacuum affects the human body? First---"

"Rodney," John said, shutting him up. "Just get the data and you'll be fine."

The Jumper flew within several meters of the Wraith ship. "Extending shields and life support now," John announced.

Rodney looked at his tablet. "Transfer is complete. Life support and shields are now extended around the Scout," he replied.

John nodded, pleased. He opened a comm channel. "Daedalus, this is Jumper One. We're ready to beam over."

"Understood," Caldwell said.

Within seconds, the five were beamed into the unfamiliar vessel. It was smaller than the jumper, not leaving much room between the five of them. There were no lights from above; the numerous readout screens and their flashlights provided the only illumination in the cabin.

"The access controls should be here," Todd said, pointing to the conduit on the far side of the ship.

"It appears that the ship was damaged in the battle," Teyla said, noting the burnt panel on the ceiling.

Todd pushed past John to access the front control panel. As he was about to touch the console, Ronon pushed his blaster in the back of his head. "Don't even think about it."

Todd backed off slightly. "I was only trying to obtain access to the files."

"Or send out a distress signal to the Wraith," Ronon suggested.

Todd laughed. "The other Hives are coming whether or not there is a distress signal. Now, if you want to save Earth, I would suggest you let me help," he said.

At John's nod, Ronon lowered his weapon.

"So?" John asked Rodney.

"Most of the data is encrypted, but I can access some of it," Todd said, pressing several buttons. He frowned as the data flowed across the screen. "It is as I predicted, they are forming a fleet to attack earth."

John turned next to him. "McKay?"

Rodney looked at the data streaming across the tablet. "Todd is right. There is definitely a fleet coming, but from what I can tell, they aren't coming directly to earth." He looked to Todd for verification.

Todd read the data on his control, nodding. "It appears that they are attempting to assemble a large fleet of Wraith. Fortunately for your planet, that means they are not coming right away. But--"

"They are planning on culling dozens of planets in the Pegasus Galaxy before they get here," Rodney interrupted.

Teyla stiffened.

John turned to her. "We are not going to let that happen."

Rodney continued reading. "Apparently, there are some Queens who are not prepared to join the fleet. The ship's purpose is to collect data on Earth, and the other populated planets in your galaxy, to show them that attacking the Milky Way is a viable option."

"Perhaps they will find another planet that will satisfy their hunger," Todd offered with a smirk.

John shot him a glare. "What planets are they going to?"

Rodney tapped several keys. "I don't know. The ship's data isn't showing anything about that."

John frowned. "What about the ship's destination? After it collects the data, where is it supposed to go?"

"The data is too heavily encrypted. If I had a couple of days and a several super computers, maybe I would be able to crack the data, but right now, there is no way," Rodney admitted.

John turned to Todd. "Get us that data."

Todd laughed. "You think too highly of me, John Sheppard. Even if I could retrieve the data, the ship would never release that information. Only a Queen can access that information."

John paused. There must be a way they could use this ship to their advantage. Suddenly, he had an idea. "Rodney, can you upload data into this computer?"

"Sure, but I thought SGC wanted to destroy the ship," Rodney answered.

"I've got an idea."

************

"So, let me get this straight," General Landry said from a video feed, "you want to plant some bogus Intel on this Wraith ship and then send it back to the Pegasus Galaxy, hoping that the other Queens won't be convinced of the viability of the Milky Way."

John, now back on Atlantis, nodded. "Rodney has already assured me he can produce false data that will look very convincing. A galaxy-wide epidemic that has wiped out most of the human population."

The general turned his gaze to Nancy. "What's your opinion?"

She glanced at John out of the corner of her eye. "I think it's a good idea. We should do anything we can to get the Wraith uninterested in the Milky Way."

"Richard?" Landry asked.

Woolsey nodded his agreement. "I trust Dr. McKay and his team will be able to transmit the data successfully. If we can deceive the Wraith, we should do it."

Landry thought for a few seconds before nodding. "Ok, do it. You make sure McKay makes it perfect."

Relieved that they agreed to the first part of his plan, John pushed his agenda forward. "He will. Also, General, I think we should take Atlantis back to the Pegasus Galaxy," he said bluntly. "If the Wraith aren't interested in us, we owe it to the people over there to protect them."

"I'm sorry, Colonel, but I can't authorize that," Landry said, frowning.

John looked at Woolsey who started speaking. "General, I would remind you that we did enter into an alliance with several dozen planets and part of our agreement was to take a more active role in protecting the citizens."

The General held up his hands. "It's not my decision, Richard. It's your people at the IOA who won't let Atlantis go."

John looked at Nancy pointedly, who held his gaze, unflinching.

"Proceed with uploading the bogus data. Contact me when you are finished. Landry out." The screen went blank.

Nancy turned to Woolsey. "Please keep me updated on Dr. McKay's progress. I will continue my report."

John watched her walk away for several seconds before deciding to follow her. He caught up with her in a relatively empty hallway. "We need to talk," he said.

She turned to face him. "What is it, John?"

He stepped close to her, invading her personal space. "I need to know if you are going to let Atlantis return to the Pegasus Galaxy."

She laughed softly. "John, I just got here. I haven't made any final decisions yet," she said, looking at him.

When he was about to speak, she cut him off. "John, I was given this assignment to give an unbiased assessment of whether or not Atlantis should stay or not. There were people who blocked my way because of our previous relationship. I told them the same thing I'll tell you. Being your ex-wife does not outweigh the importance of protecting our planet or our galaxy. If I feel that we will be better protected with Atlantis here, then that's what my report will show."

John deflated slightly. "You're not going to advise Atlantis to go back to the Pegasus Galaxy, are you?"

She shook her head slowly. "There are too many variables that could go wrong. What is the Scout never reaches the Queen? What if the fleet decides to move forward before the ship gets there? What if they don't believe the data that Dr. McKay uploads to their computer?"

"Nancy, there are hundreds of planets at risk over there," he argued.

She softened for a second. "I understand where you are coming from, but John, there are billions of people on Earth alone." She put her hand on his shoulder. "As it stands, Atlantis is staying here. Give me something concrete to show that Earth isn't at risk, then, maybe I'll consider changing my mind."

"Nancy, this is bigger than you or me. If we go out there and meet them before they get into our galaxy, then we are sparing the entire Milky Way from the Wraith. We need to get Atlantis out there and stop them," John argued.

Nancy shook her head. "We need Atlantis here. What if they break through the defenses and get to Earth?"

"I'm not willing to sacrifice thousands of people just because you ask 'what if'," he said, not swayed by her argument.

"John, stop. You can't save everyone," Nancy replied. "I know you never were able to move past Captain Holland--"

He had heard enough. "If you think that I am going to just sit here and leave those people behind, then I guess you never really knew me at all." He spun around quickly, not willing to waste more time with someone who wasn't willing to help him.

"John, wait," she called.

He paused for a moment before turning back to her. "I have got work to do."

John turned around and walked away, leaving Nancy alone.

**************

"They're not going to let Atlantis go back," Ronon said.

Teyla, who was giving Torren pieces of banana in the mess hall, frowned. "I am confident that John and Mr. Woolsey will be able to convince them to allow Atlantis to return."

"Yeah, right," Ronon said. He watched her feed her son for a few seconds before speaking again. "Are you and Kanaan still going back? Even though the Wraith are going to cull all of those planets?"

"I will not leave my people to suffer that fate alone," Teyla answered firmly. "Besides, we still do not know what those on Earth will decide." She looked at Torren who was grinning at Ronon with his one tooth showing. Could she condemn him to a life running from the Wraith? Inwardly she sighed. Atlantis needed to come back to the Pegasus Galaxy.

She hoped since Rodney had been able to transfer the false information successfully to the Scout, those at the IOA would agree for Atlantis to return to prevent the Wraith from wanting to return to the Milky Way.

Ronon looked at the door of the mess hall. "This doesn't look good," he muttered as John walked in with a scowl on his face.

He pulled a seat out with a jerk and plopped in the chair.

"Told you," Ronon said simply to Teyla.

"You were unable to convince them to allow Atlantis to go back to the Pegasus Galaxy?" Teyla asked sympathetically.

"No, I wasn't," he said bitterly. "But, that doesn't mean that we're not going to go."

Teyla raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"We're going to take Atlantis back whether the IOA likes it or not," John said determined. "We need to get the odds in our favor. We need to get the people we trust. I'll meet you in half an hour in McKay's lab. Atlantis is going home."

**************

John couldn't help but to feel the swell of pride as he looked around Rodney's lab. There were the usual people he could count on--Rodney, Ronon and Teyla--along with some more familiar faces, Carson, Lorne, Woolsey, Keller and Radek and some newcomers--Chuck and Amelia from the control room.

"We're going to take Atlantis back to the Pegasus Galaxy. The IOA doesn't appear that they are going to change their minds about allowing Atlantis to leave." He glanced at them. "There is a good chance that when the IOA finds out about what we're doing, they aren't going to be happy."

The word treason popped into John's mind. Court martials and jail time would be in their foreseeable future if they were caught.

They all glanced at each other.

"I've got nothing to lose," Carson replied.

"But some of us do," Woolsey countered. He turned to John. "Colonel, I admire your dedication to those in the Pegasus Galaxy, but if this goes wrong…" He trailed off.

Teyla looked a Woolsey. "Some times doing the right thing does not please everyone."

"We just need to make sure this works," Rodney said, glancing at the door in case anyone decided to come inside. "I couldn't handle being in a jail cell. You know how claustrophobic I am. Not to mention the company there is not--"

"We made a commitment to those people," John argued. "If we don't try to save them then they are all as good as dead."

He looked at each one of them, finally Woolsey nodded. "All right, Colonel, what were you thinking?"

John nodded, pleased. "It's going to take all of us working together, but I think we can do it.…"

**************************

Carson pulled the helmet of the biosuit over his head. "I always hate wearing these," he said to Keller.

She smiled. "They definitely make a bold fashion statement," she said.

He returned her grin. "Let's get this going, shall we?"

She nodded as they took their position hiding in one of their abandoned labs. She looked at him with a curious look. "You seem awfully comfortable doing this, Carson."

A smile flickered over his lips. "After a few years on Atlantis, you learn to do whatever it takes to protect the city."

She laughed softly. "I suppose you do. Carson…what if this doesn't work?"

"That's another thing you should have learned by now," he replied as he reached their destination, "we will keep trying until it does work."

Finally she spoke. "Do you really think we can do this?" she whispered worriedly.

"We better," Carson replied quietly. "A galaxy of people depends on it."

*************

Teyla and Lorne walked down the hallway, determined to execute their part of the plan. "Thank you, Evan, for doing this. It means a lot to--" She was interrupted before she could finish speaking.

"Teyla," the familiar voice called out.

She turned around. "Kanaan, what are you doing?"

"I could ask you the same," he said not unkindly. "I heard what Colonel Sheppard is proposing."

Teyla was instantly on alert. Had their plot been revealed? Lorne frowned as the implications of Kanaan's words.

Kanaan, noticing their discomfort, quickly spoke again. "Mr. Woolsey informed me of what was going on so that I could stay with Torren." He looked at her with a small frown. "Why are you doing this, Teyla? Should we not let the Lantians sort things out for themselves? Perhaps they will decide to allow Atlantis to return to the Pegasus Galaxy."

Lorne, feeling awkward, took a few steps away from the couple. Suddenly, the interior décor of Atlantis held a vast interest for him.

Teyla shook her head. "It does not appear as they will. We need to take action." Teyla frowned. Couldn't Kanaan see the importance in what they were doing?

Kanaan cupped her cheek. "You do not need to prove anything to those on Atlantis. They can do this without you."

She pulled back, stung. "As long as we are here, I will do what I can to help." She took a breath, trying to turn her attention back to the mission. "We will discuss this later. I must go."

She walked away with Lorne close beside her. As they turned a corner, he spoke, "Do you still want to do this?" he asked sincerely.

She looked at him, determination in her eyes. "Absolutely."

***************

Ronon, Woolsey, Chuck and Amelia walked into the control room. No one thought anything was odd as Chuck and Amelia replaced two of the techs as they sat in their customary seats.

Ronon looked over Amelia's shoulder who was monitoring the life signs detector. She typed in several commands and the computer zoomed into several sections of Atlantis.

"Dr. Beckett and Keller are in position," she reported softly to Woolsey. "Teyla and Major Lorne are in the armory and Colonel Sheppard is nearly to the chair room."

Woolsey took a deep breath. "Let's just hope the Colonel's plan works."

***************

John turned a corner, on alert. Though there was nothing wrong with him walking down the corridor, he couldn't help but to feel like he was being watched. He stopped himself. Paranoia wasn't going to help the situation.

Forcing himself to be calm, he continued making his way to the chair room. As he walked, Teyla contacted him, "Major Lorne and I have the stun grenades. We will be at the lab in two minutes."

"Good," he replied. "Any word on the others?"

"Everything is going as planned," she said stiffly.

John paused. She didn't sound normal. He was tempted to ask her, but he knew that they needed to get the plan into motion. "Ok, when I get to the Chair Room, I'll contact Rodney." He paused for a second. "Be careful."

"We will, John. You do the same." The comm channel went dead.

Knowing everyone was in position pushed John to get to the Chair Room faster. When he reached the door, he half-expected to see a group of scientists in there, working on the Chair. Fortunately, the room was empty.

With a confident stride, John walked to the Chair and took a seat. This was going to be fun, he thought.

***************

"You know what you're doing, right?" Rodney asked for the fifth time.

Radek suppressed a sigh. He wouldn't have been able to stay on the expedition for over five years without developing a never-ending supply of patience. "Yes, Rodney."

Before Rodney could reply, he froze as he listened intently for several seconds. "Everyone is in position," he told Radek. "Just let me take the lead, ok, Radek?" Rodney demanded as he worked at one of the computers in his lab.

"I wouldn't expect you to do anything less," he mumbled.

"Oh ha ha, who knew the idea of mutiny brought out the humorous side of you," Rodney said as they turned a corner. He turned serious. "It's show time."

Radek typed several commands on his tablet in tandem with Rodney. Rodney tapped his earpiece. "Go ahead, Teyla."

"Acknowledged," she replied.

Within seconds, through her comm channel, they heard the sound of several stun grenades going off close to the lab where Haven and a group of scientists were working.

"Watch this," Rodney said smugly to Radek. He tapped several times on his tablet. "That should do it."

As they continued watching the display on the large monitor, the computer showed large sections of Atlantis' power turning off. "Perfect," he commented smugly.

"I'm assuming--" Radek started.

"Not yet," Rodney replied in a singsong voice.

"Nacházíte se nejvíce drsný muž, jakého jsem kdy poznala. Doufám, že jste proklínali s dětmi, tak arogantní jako vy," the Czech muttered.

Rodney, feigning anger, tapped his earpiece. "Haven, what did you guys do in there? There was a massive drain on the resources."

"I don't know, McKay," responded Haven defensively.

"Didn't I tell you not to be touching anything without my approval?"

"I didn't!" he said.

"So, the sensors are wrong and there wasn't a major explosion down there?"

That made Haven pause. "There was an explosion, but it was outside the door! I'm telling you, we didn't do anything," he argued.

"Whatever you 'didn't do' it's causing major problems throughout Atlantis. It's going into lockdown mode," Rodney complained.

He nodded to Radek who typed in the commands to lock the doors throughout most of Atlantis. "It's going to take me time to fix this--at least a couple of hours," Rodney complained.

He ended the comm channel and tapped his earpiece again. "It's done," he told Woolsey. "Now it's your turn."

*********************

In the control room, Chuck nodded to Woolsey. "Everyone will be able to hear you, with the exception of Mrs. Stevens." They had agreed it was in their best interest to keep Nancy in the dark as much as possible. She might work for General O'Neill but it didn't mean she had his fascination with breaking the rules

"Good work, Chuck," Woolsey said sincerely. He nodded for him to open the channel. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has come to my attention that there was an accident in one of the labs. The city has gone into partial lock down mode. Until we find the nature of the problem, I would ask that you remain in your quarters. Thank you."

He tapped his earpiece to open a private comm channel. "Dr. Keller, it's time for the clean up."

****************

Most of the people on the expedition did as Woolsey requested, but there were several dozen people who were still walking around Atlantis.

Carson and Jennifer walked out of their hiding place, looking for those people who were still wondering around. Thanks to the help they received from Amelia, they were able to focus their search, herding those into their quarters.

Some of those new to the expedition looked at them worriedly when they saw the biosuits, but Carson was quick to reassure them that it was just an extra precaution. There were several scientists who were unwilling at first to go into their quarters, but when Jennifer suggested they bring the issue up to Rodney, they quickly backed down from their argument.

Most of the people had been

Jennifer tapped her earpiece. "We're all set, Colonel."

****************

John leaned back in his seat. It was time to get out of here.

****************

They had been traveling away from Earth for nearly twenty minutes when Chuck turned to Woolsey. "Earth is trying to contact us," he reported.

Woolsey panicked. Had they detected Atlantis leaving? He forced himself to calm down. If they knew that Atlantis had left, they would have contacted them much sooner, right?

"OK, open the channel," he said, hoping his nervousness didn't show.

Coolidge's face appeared on the screen. "Richard!" he said too warmly. "Having fun playing 'trick the Wraith' out there?" he asked unkindly.

Woolsey painted a smile on his face. "If it will help Earth's safety, then it's our pleasure to do it," he replied diplomatically.

He laughed insincerely. "I'm sure you would. Speaking of Atlantis and Earth's safety, I need to get a status report from Mrs. Stevens."

Woolsey froze. If they brought her up here, then she would definitely know what was going on. He needed to stall. "I believe she is still working on her report," he answered.

"Well, too bad," he said. "I don't care if she is halfway across the Milky Way. Her report was due five minutes ago."

Woolsey closed his eyes. He wouldn't be able to fight Coolidge. The IOA did not budge when it came to when reports were due. "She'll be here shortly." He signaled for Chuck to cut the video feed as he turned to Ronon. "Please bring Mrs. Stevens here and try not to let her find out about what is going on."

Ronon nodded as he left the control room.

*******************

Nancy Stevens was staring at a relatively blank computer screen for twenty minutes. She knew her report was past due, something that was sure not to go unnoticed by those at the IOA. As much as she hated to admit it, John did have influence over her. Their earlier conversation would not leave her alone.

Was she making the right call by agreeing that Atlantis should stay?

Booming footsteps interrupted her thoughts. She quickly shut down the blank word processing page as Ronon entered the room.

"You need to come to the Control Room," Ronon said. "Coolidge wants to talk with you."

"All right," she said softly. Nancy closed her laptop as she followed Ronon down the hall. As they continued walking, she noticed there weren't any people in the hallway.

"Where is everybody?" she asked.

"Busy," came Ronon's curt reply.

After a couple of minutes and still seeing no one, she knew something was going on. "Mr. Dex--"

"Ronon," he corrected.

"OK, Ronon, what is going on?" she asked. "Where is John?"

"He's busy," he said, guiding her away from a window showing the outside.

Unfortunately, Nancy walked past him and looked out the window to see the stars zooming by them. "Are we returning to Earth?"

Ronon said nothing.

Nancy sighed as she continued looking out the window. "This was John's idea, wasn't it?"

"You weren't going to let Atlantis go back." Ronon shrugged. "We didn't have much of a choice."

"'We'?" she asked. "Who else is involved?"

Ronon remained silent.

She turned to face Ronon, confusion on her face. "Why is everyone so opposed to protecting Earth? You've seen what the Wraith can do. Why would you not want to protect a planet from that?"

"Earth's not the only planet under threat," Ronon said pointedly.

"You really think you can do it? Defeat the Wraith?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered simply.

She drew a breath, squaring her shoulders. "John does too. That is why making this decision is so difficult."

******************

When Woolsey saw Nancy walk in, full of resolute confidence, he knew that she had not changed her mind about Atlantis' fate. He could only hope that Ronon had kept her unaware of what was going on.

"Richard," she greeted.

He stepped away from the monitor as Chuck reopened the video feed.

"Mr. Coolidge," she said as his face appeared onscreen.

"Mrs. Stevens," he returned. "I didn't see your report."

She frowned slightly. "I apologize, I will get it to you as soon as possible. I have my findings available, if you want to hear it."

He glanced at someone off-screen before nodding his head. "Go ahead."

"I believe that we should allow Atlantis to return to the Pegasus Galaxy. After carefully considering our options, I am confident that Atlantis would better protect us over there, then here. Offensively, they have an advantage over there. Here, they would always be waiting for another Wraith to come to Earth, but never be able to put the Wraith on the defense," she replied.

Coolidge deflated. "But, what about the issues we discussed before we left?"

"I'm sorry, James, but I just can't agree with you," Nancy said sincerely.

Coolidge stiffened. "Apparently, the majority of those in the IOA agree with you now. It seems that General O'Neill is quite convincing when he wants to be," he muttered.

The General appeared onscreen. "But, it's always nice to know that you agree with me." He shifted his gaze to Woolsey. "Now, tell Sheppard to turn the ship around."

"You knew?" Woolsey couldn't help but to ask.

"Carter discovered his little joyride when he first took off. You just get Atlantis back in one piece and I won't remember a thing. Neither will my buddy here," he said, pointing to Coolidge.

"Will do," Woolsey said with a slight smile.

O'Neill studied him for a second. "Atlantis is good for you, Richard. You're finally growing a spine. I like it."

Ronon smirked to the side of him as the video feed cut out.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Woolsey," Nancy said as he was reaching for his earpiece, "I'd like to talk to John myself."

He nodded. "All right."

**********************

John's mind was in cruise control when the doors to the Chair Room opened. Atlantis nearly stopped when his panicked mind processed it was Nancy who was walking into the room.

"You can stop now," she said simply.

"What?" he asked.

"The IOA…and I, have decided to give the green light for Atlantis to go back to the Pegasus Galaxy," she replied as she walked further into the room.

"Really?" he grinned.

"Yes, but as fascinating as Atlantis is, I want to go back to Earth," she said, looking at him closely.

He nodded as he changed the course of the city, now headed for Earth.

She felt the shift as they changed directions. "You really did that?"

"Yeah," he said, looking at her. "What made you change your mind?"

"You. Ronon. The fact you and your companions were willing to sacrifice so much to save those people. A lot of things," she said, touching the back of the chair. "I'm not used to this, John. Hundreds, thousands of planets with other living creatures on it? It boggles my mind."

"I was you five years ago, but it does get easier, if that helps any," he replied as he focused on his flying. They were silent for a couple of seconds before he looked up again. "Ronon, huh?"

********************

Teyla stood outside the balcony, showing Torren the majestic view of the Earth from the moon's view. Atlantis returned to Earth with no problems. Rodney had confirmed that the Scout had successfully made several jumps back towards the Pegasus Galaxy, ready to deliver the bogus information to the Wraith. Now, they were waiting for the last of the crew, some new and old faces, to come aboard before they left the Milky Way.

She stayed focused on the large continent--Africa-- below her as the doors behind her slid apart. On the way back, she and Kanaan spoke, smoothing over the hurt feelings from before, but there was part of Teyla that wished it not to be him.

"Nice view, huh?"

She smiled as she recognized John's voice.

"I do not know when we will be back. I wanted to show Torren, one more time before we left," she replied. She turned to him. "I know I have not said it, but thank you for what you did."

He turned away from her, not comfortable with her appreciation. "It was nothing."

She raised her eyebrow. "If the IOA did not side in your favor, you and the others could have gotten in serious trouble."

"Teyla," he said seriously, "the Pegasus Galaxy is just as much my home as Earth is."

A large smile passed over her lips. Torren reached over and pulled John's shirt. "Ba ba ba ba!" he started babbling.

John looked down at him. "Bottle?" he asked, unsure.

Teyla shook her head.

"Binky?" he suggested again.

Again, she shook her head.

"Blanket?"

She shook her head once more. "Ba ba is the name of the sheep doll Carson got him from Scotland," she said, leading them back inside Atlantis.

As they walked down the corridor, John let Torren hold on to his finger. "I'm glad that Atlantis is going back," he said uncomfortably. "I really suck at saying goodbye."

She smiled at him. "Then it is good that you did not have to do that."

He half-smiled as they walked down the hallway together, grateful for their friendship. "Yeah, it is."


End file.
